Chapter 27: The Mansion Will Fall, Urgent Dispatch (Part 2)

Wu Yan and Han Gang were currently in the state government office.

The state government office in Qin Prefecture was just an ordinary courtyard, with nothing particularly special about it, except for its large size and numerous buildings. The only distinctive feature was the surrounding wall, which was over ten feet high, resembling a city wall with crenellations and battlements, and was about five to six feet wide. This design was intended to allow for continued street fighting even after the city walls were breached.

The main buildings, such as the main hall and the second hall, which were located on the central axis, belonged to the governor of Qin Prefecture. As for Wu Yan, the military governor's deputy, he had a courtyard on the west side as his office. However, instead of taking Han Gang to the deputy's office, Wu Yan led him to the office of the military governor's assistant.

Currently, the northern front was fiercely contested, and the governor, Li Shizhong, had not yet returned. As the acting military governor's deputy, Wu Yan had many responsibilities. However, as the primary person in charge, he had the obligation to provide a detailed explanation of the case to the assistant in charge of criminal affairs when transferring the case. However, no one was on duty in the assistant's office, so Wu Yan sighed and took Han Gang back to his own office.

"Sit down!" Wu Yan called for an old night watchman and ordered him to bring tea. He then pointed to a chair at the lower end of the room, gesturing for Han Gang to sit down. Wu Yan had a good impression of Han Gang and spoke to him very gently.

Han Gang did not sit down but instead knelt and bowed to Wu Yan, saying, "I have something to confess to the deputy."

Wu Yan was puzzled and leaned forward to ask, "What have you done wrong?"

"Opening the military warehouse and taking weapons without permission."

Wu Yan laughed, "What's the big deal about that..." His voice suddenly stopped, as if he had remembered something. "Why were you so sure that Liu San and the others would come tonight?"

Han Gang said, "When I mentioned that I needed to inventory the warehouse for the handover, Li Liuge, who brought me here, had an unusual expression. I've heard that when the court orders an inventory of the state's finances, the magistrate might burn the account books. If that were true, and they succeeded, I would be unable to defend myself, even if I had a hundred mouths. So I kept a close eye on things and made some preparations. I thought it was just a precaution, but they were surprisingly eager."

Han Gang's explanation was flawless, and Wu Yan nodded in agreement. He understood what Han Gang was saying, and it was not an unusual situation.

Han Gang was chosen as the scapegoat. The arsonist died in the fire, and the gatekeepers, Wang Wu and Wang Jiu, were sentenced to exile. If necessary, they could be eliminated in prison and reported as having died of illness. The military warehouse's direct superior, the military officer, and the county magistrate would bear leadership responsibility and be dismissed pending investigation. The current county magistrate would be directly removed from office. As for the registrar, Chen Ju, he could sit comfortably and drink tea with the household officer, Liu Xian. Huang De would get the beauty he wanted, and Li Laizi's long-held wish would be fulfilled. Everything would be peaceful.

Unfortunately, Han Gang did not play the role as scripted. The whole drama was ruined!

Han Gang knew that Chen Ju must be thinking this way. By speaking these words to Wu Yan, his real target was no longer Huang Daliu but Chen Ju, who was behind Huang Daliu. After shooting Liu San and forcing Wang Wu and Wang Jiu to submit, Huang Daliu was already a dead tiger. But behind Huang Daliu was Chen Ju, who was said to control everything in Chengji County.

The state government of Qin Prefecture was in Chengji County. The state and county government offices were in the same city. Although Chen Ju was said to control everything, as Han Gang had told his parents, in the presence of the many civil and military officials in Qin Prefecture, a small registrar like him was not a significant figure. His control was like a cloud that separated the people and the officials. If someone could break through the cloud, they would see that it was just a thin layer of water vapor.

Chen Ju was not as notorious as Huang Daliu or Li Laizi. He let his subordinates do the dirty work, so he could maintain a good reputation. However, in forming a network of interests centered around himself, he inevitably harmed the interests of other factions. After thirty years in Chengji County, Chen Ju had made many enemies, but they feared his power and were hesitant to act. If a crack could be made in his network of relationships in Qin Prefecture, the hidden currents would be enough to shatter Chen Ju's power.

Han Gang had already made a start, and there was no reason not to continue. He knew he had to take a risk. For his future safety, he had to finish off Chen Ju.

"Is it Chen Ju?" Wu Yan's question, like a sword from the sky, made Han Gang suddenly nervous. Wu Yan was not stupid and had been in Qin Prefecture for two years. He knew Chen Ju better than Han Gang. The reason he brought Han Gang and the others back to the state government office instead of handing them over to Chengji County was to guard against Chen Ju.

Wu Yan was not unwilling to deal with Chen Ju, but he did not want to get himself into trouble. Chen Ju was not a small figure, and his desperate struggle could harm a junior eighth-rank official.

Although he admired Han Gang, Wu Yan would not take the risk!

An official's term was three years, but a clerk's position could last a lifetime. Chen Ju's family had been working in the Chengji County government office since the early days of Emperor Zhenzong. Now, after several decades, Chen Ju had been a clerk for thirty years, rising to the highest rank of registrar in the county, and had several honorary titles, such as Silver Wine Inspector, Wu Qing Guanglu Doctor, Inspector of the National University, and Cavalry Captain.

Although these titles were honorary and not recorded in the official registry, only a few clerks in a state of nearly a thousand could obtain such titles.

There was also a saying that officials did not have hereditary positions, but clerks did. Families like Chen Ju's, who had worked in the same government office for generations, were common, while officials often changed positions frequently. Sometimes, a new official would be replaced before their term was up, and the position of governor or county magistrate might change hands five or six times in a year. How could they compete with the experienced clerks?

There were many examples of officials being deceived by clerks and losing their positions. Even the upright Bao Zheng was once deceived by the clerks of Kaifeng. Those who could control the clerks and make them behave were mostly famous ministers, and their achievements in this regard were recorded in history.

The saying "all clerks should be killed" contained the blood and tears of many officials!

For the sake of Mr. Hengqu, he could help Han Gang, but Wu Yan would not risk his own safety!

Yesterday, Han Gang's son went into the city alone, and when he returned home, Han Qianliu could not sleep all night. The next morning, his wife and nanny were also red-eyed from lack of sleep. No one in the family could be at ease with Han Gang alone in the city, almost in enemy territory. Han Aili hurriedly heated two steamed buns, and Han Qianliu, holding them, rushed to the ferry.

Early in the morning, a strong cold wind blew, and the sky was overcast. The atmosphere on the ferry was gloomy. Han Qianliu sat at the bow, staring intently at Li Laizi, who was sitting at the other end of the ferry. Han Qianliu was an honest man who had never thought of committing crimes or even arguing with others, but now he wished he could kick Li Laizi into the river.

Li Laizi sat comfortably at the stern, with a servant by his side. He was not afraid of the honest Han Qianliu. If Han Aili were there, it would be different. Now, Li Laizi would not dare to meet Han Aili without bringing three or five servants.

"Old Brother Han, are you going to the city to see your third son?"

Li Laizi started a conversation, clearly with malicious intent. Han Qianliu turned his head to look at the river, ignoring him. This reaction delighted Li Laizi, and his smile became even more smug. Since his in-law had guaranteed the riverbank field, it would soon belong to the Li family, not just adopted but truly his. Today, Li Laizi was going to the city to gather information, and meeting Han Qianliu on the way was a pleasant distraction.

The river was narrow, and before Han Qianliu and Li Laizi could sit comfortably, the ferry had already reached the other side. Getting off the ferry, Han Qianliu hurriedly tried to leave Li Laizi behind, but Li Laizi and his servant followed closely. The more agitated Han Qianliu became, the more pleased Li Laizi was. He had been fighting with the Han family for twenty years over the three acres of vegetable garden by the river. Now, his wish was about to come true, and he hummed a tune all the way, deliberately annoying Han Qianliu.

As they walked quickly, Han Qianliu and Li Laizi reached the city gate, where there was a commotion. Many people were blocked at the gate, and they had to queue to enter the city. Several soldiers were maintaining order with rods, and the queue moved very slowly. Every person and vehicle entering or leaving the city was thoroughly searched.

Li Laizi grabbed a soldier who was maintaining order, gave him two coins, and asked, "What happened in the city last night?"

"It seems a clerk surnamed Han killed someone last night. It's said he was discovered burning the military warehouse and might be a spy for the Western Xia. Now, everyone entering or leaving the city must be searched."

The incident had only happened a few hours ago, and apart from those involved, few people knew the full details. The information from the government office was fragmented and had to be pieced together with speculation.

Han Qianliu, who was standing nearby, felt as if he had been struck by lightning when he heard this. It was like a terrifying nightmare. "No, my third son wouldn't do such a thing!"

Li Laizi was also surprised but knew about Han Gang's stubbornness. A malicious smile appeared on his face, and he wanted to laugh out loud to express his joy. "Old Brother Han, your third son..."

"What's wrong with me?" A familiar voice suddenly sounded beside them. Turning around, Li Laizi jumped back like a rabbit. The person he had just mentioned had somehow appeared beside them.